Security unit



SECURITY UNIT Filed Nov. 24 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VENTOR Aug- 29, 1967 JUNlcHl KANEDA 3,338,077

SECURITY UNIT Filed Nov. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 7a/mmh' Kamm BY ZfQ/OQZT ATTORNEY5 United States Patent Oiliee 3,338,077 Patented VAug. 29, 1967 3,338,077 SECURITY UNIT Junichi Kaneda, Kitaadach-guu, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Gijutsu Kenkyusho, Saitama-ken, `Iapan, a corporation of Japan Filed Nov. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 413,479 Claims priority, application Japan, Feb. 1, 1964, 39/5,058 3 Claims. (Cl. 70-252) The present invention -relates to a security apparatus for preventing unauthorized operation of motor cars, and according to the present invention there is provided an improved apparatus having a cylinder lock rotatable for opening and closing -an electric circuit such .as an engine ignition circuit or a sta-rter motor circuit or the like, and an independently operatable locking member for locking a movable control member such as a steering shaft, a parking Ibrake lever, a transmission lever or the like, is provided so that when the locking member is operated under the condition that the cylinder lock has been turned to its open circuit position, the locking member may be engaged with the cylinder lock for being held at its locking position.

According to a second feature of the .present invention, the cylinder lock is provided with a safety cam which moves therewith, so that the locking member is made by the cam to move toward its locking position in the position when the cylinder lock is in its closed circuit switch position.

According to a third 'feature of the present invention, furthermore, a safety cam on the cylinder lock makes the cylinder lock to move toward its closed circuit position in the case when the locking member is in its locking position.

One embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention in which,

FIG. l is a sectional longitudinal view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is 'a transverse sectional view of the apparatus taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view in elevation of one portion of the apparatus;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are detail perspective views of the cylinder lock and the locking member;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view explaining the operation of the apparatus; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are longitudinal sectional views explaining the operation of a safety cam.

Referring to the drawing, in FIG. 1, numeral 1 denotes a car body wall, numeral 2 denotes a frame casing of the security apparatus which is attached to the inner surface of the wall 1, and within this casing 2 there are enclosed a movable control member 3 necessary for driving, such as a steering shaft, a parking brake lever, a transmission lever or the like. There are also enclosed therein a locking member 4 for locking the movable control member 3, a cylinder lock 5 for locking the locking member 4 in its locking position, and an electric switch `6 rotating with the cylinder lock -5 for opening and closing an electric circuit necessary for driving, as the circuit of an ignition coil, la starter-motor, or the like.

The cylinder lock I5 can be rotated right and left only by a key '8 removably inserted in a key hole 7 provided in the front face thereof, and a movable electrical contact 10 is fixed by means of a movable contact plate 9 to the remote end of the cylinder lock 5 to be rotatable therewith and is connected to ground or the frame, while spaced therefrom a pair of spaced stationary contacts 13 and 14 respectively connected to an ignition coil 11 and a starter-motor 12, respectively, are iixedly mounted on a stationary contact plate 15. Thus, there is constituted by these members, the multiple position rotatable electric switch 6. If, in Vaccordance, with graduations on its front surface as shown in FIG. 4, the lock 5 is rotated to the ignition position IG, or further rotated to the motor drive position ST, the circuit of the ignition coil 11 or that of the starter-motor 12 respectivelyis closed, and if the cylinder is rotated counterclockwise by about degrees as far as the position off (lock), the circuit becomes open,

The cylinder lock 5 has on the lateral cylindrical surface of its middle portion a locking claw or stud 16 urged radially outward by a spring 30, and at the outside thereof and nearly in contact therewith and nearly at right angles therewith is mounted the locking member 4 which is slideable forwardly and rearwardly within casing 2. The locking member 4 has on the side adjoining the cy-l linder lock 5, a locking groove 17 cooperating with the locking claw or stud 16, so that when the cylinder lock 5 is turned to the position off (lock), the locking claw or stud 16 is brought to the position in contact with lateral surface of the locking member 4 as shown in FIG. 1. If accordingly, from this condition, the locking member 4 is then advanced forwardly, the two 4mem-bers 5 and 4 become engaged one with another by the locking claw' or stud 16 and the locking groove 17 as shown in FIG. 7, whereby the locking member 4 is automatically locked in its advanced position.

The locking member 4 is formed at its terminal portion to have a locking pin or sleeve 18 slideable thereover and supported from the terminal surface thereof by a spring 19 and is as a whole urged rearwardly by a spring 20, and the movable control member 3 such as a steering' shaft or the like placed in front of the same is provided with a lateral radial opening 21 opposite thereto, so that when the locking member 4 has been advanced, the locking member has its pin or stud 18 portion inserted in the radial opening 21 in the control member for locking the mova-ble control member 3.

The locking member 4 is closed at one terminal hollow portion by a plug 22 and a cap 23. Between the movable Contact plate 9 of the switch 6 and a stationary locating plate 24, there is provided a retaining mechanism comprising a ball 26 urged by a spring 25 and concave members 27 cooperating therewith so that the switch 6 may be held in either the fixed closed circuit and/or the open circuit positions. Y

The cylinder -lock 5 is-formed at a peripheral cylindrical portion thereof to have a safety' cam 28, so that the locking member 4 cannot be displaced at the closed circuit position of the cylinder lock 5, that is, while the operator is drivin-g with the electric ignition circuit closed, and also the cylinder lock 5 cannot be brought to its closed circuit position during a time when the locking member 4 has -been engaged in the radial aperture in the control member, that is, when movable control member is in locked position.

The safety cam 28 on the cylinder lock 5 is formed by enlarging a part of the cylinder lock 5 into substantially a segmental form as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 or FIGS. 8 and 9, and the locking member 4 is provided spaced from the locking groove 17 with an arc-shaped groove 29 corresponding thereto. When the cylinder lock 5 is in its closed circuit position, the locking mem-ber 4 is prevented from moving forwardly because the cam 28 is engaged with the Igroove 29 as shown in FIG. 8, and when the locking member 4 is in its advanced position, the cylinder lock 5 is prevented from rotating to the closed circuit side, because the end surface portion of the cam 28 3 engages on the surface of the portion beyond the groove 29 of the cylinder lock 5.

The operation of the apparatus as illustrated is as follows:

If the cylinder lock 5 is turned by the key 8 counterclockwise to the position Off (Lock), the electric switch 6 becomes open, and the electric circuit such as the ignition coil circuit is made inoperative, and at the same time, the locking claw or stud 16 of the cylinder lock 5 is brought to the position opposite to the locking member 4 as shown in FIG. 1. If the locking member 4 is then pushed forwardly, the same is inserted into the radial opening 21 of the movable control member 3, which is necessary for driving, such as a steering shaft or the like, and is kept stationary in its advanced locking position by the engagement of its locking groove 17 with the locking stud or claw 16. The -release thereof cannot be obtained unless the cylinder lock 5 is turned clockwise by the key 8. From this condition, the cylinder lock 5' is turned clockwise by using the key 8 once again, to the position IG or the position ST, the stud or claw 16 is withdrawn against the action of its own spring 30 and slips olf the locking groove 17, whereby the locking member 4 is unlocked to reach a position where the locking member 4 can be ready to move at will rearwardly for releasing the locking of the same with the movable control member 3, and the switch 6 closes the electric circuit to be in the operating condition.

Generally, it often occurs with a motor car that during the running thereof an electric switch has to be operated. -1"`or example, in the case when a car descends a slope, the driver cuts off the ignition coil circuit for obtaining coasting operation. In the conventional apparatus of this kind, however, as now known, it is usual that at the time of the cut-ofi operation of the electric switch, the locking of the movable control member such as a steering shaft or the like, is effected simultaneously and automatically, so that such coasting as mentioned above is very dangerous and is almost impossible.

According to the present invention, however, the locking operation of the locking member with the movable control member is effected independently of the rotating operation of the cylinder lock for opening the electric circuit, so that the opening and closing of the switch, such as for ignition control, can be made freely by the rotating of the cylinder lock without causing the locking of the movable control member. rIfhereby, such defects in the performance of the conventional apparatus as mentioned above can be eliminated. Furthermore, the locking member can be locked in its locking position by the cylinder lock if the locking member is operated by a separate op eration after the switch has been cut off by the rotation of the cylinder lock, so that the security effect against unauthorized driving is better than that of the conventional one and is deinitely assured.

If additionally, a safety cam is provided, if desired,

4 there can be definitely prevented such erroneous operations as that the movable control member becomes inadvertently locked while driving or the electric circuit is inadvertently closed during the locking condition of the movable control member.

I claim:

1. A security unit to prevent the unauthorized operation of a motor car, comprising a casing, a rotatable cylinder lock, comprising a rotor, a multiple contact rotary switch mounted iixedly on the rotor of said cylinder lock, and having an open circuit position and a closed circuit position, an electric circuit connected to said switch, a displaceable driving control member having a radial aperture, a manually operated linearly displaceable locking member mounted laterally of and adjacent said cylinder lock and for being longitudinally displaced to engage said radial aperture in said control member and having a peripheral locking groove, said cylinder lock having a resiliently radially displaceable stud therein and carried therewith and displaceable against the surface of said locking memberV wherein said groove is formed when said cylinder lock switch has been rotated to its open circuit position, means for retaining said locking member withdrawn from said control member when said cylinder lock is in its circuit closing position and said cylinder lock, said control mem` ber and said locking member extending into said casing.

2. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprises a segmental cam being provided on a peripheral cylindrical portion of said cylinder Vlock and a cam groove being provided on said locking member engageable by said cam, said locking member cam groove and said cam being so arranged that said cam is prevented by engagement with said locking member from entering said cam groove when said locking member has lockingly engaged the radial aperture in said control member whereby the cylinder lock switch cannot be brought into its closed circuit position and said cam can only enter said cam groove when the locking member is withdrawn from the radial aperture in said control member whereby the locking member cannot be displaced to engage the radial aperture in said control member when the cylinder lock switch is in its closed circuit position.

3. A unit according to claim 1, including resilient positioning means mounted adjacent said cylinder lock switch and cooperating with a peripheral formation on said cylinder lock switch for maintaining said cylinder lock switch in a given circuit making position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,641,811 9/ 1927 Hershey 70-252 3,187,527 v6/1965 Moss et al. 70--252 3,236,077 2/ 1966 Moss 70-252. X 3,261,187 7/1966 Eichenauer 70-'252 BOBBY R.. GAY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SECURITY UNIT TO PREVENT THE UNAUTHORIZED OPERATION OF A MOTOR CAR, COMPRISING A CASING, A ROTATABLE CYLINDER LOCK, COMPRISING A ROTOR, A MULTIPLE CONTACT ROTARY SWITCH MOUNTED FIXEDLY ON THE ROTOR OF SAID CYLINDER LOCK, AND HAVING AN OPEN CIRCUIT POSITION AND A CLOSED CIRCUIT POSITION, AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID SWITCH, A DISPLACEABLE DRIVING CONTROL MEMBER HAVING A RADIAL APERTURE, A MANUALLY OPERATED LINEARLY DISPLACEABLE LOCKING MEMBER MOUNTED LATERALLY OF AND ADJACENT SAID CYLINDER LOCK AND FOR BEING LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACED TO ENGAGE SAID RADIAL APERTURE IN SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL LOCKING GROOVE, SAID CYLINDER LOCK HAVING A RESILIENTLY RADIALLY DISPLACEABLE STUD THEREIN AND CARRIED THEREWITH AND DISPLACEABLE AGAINST THE SURFACE OF SAID LOCKING MEMBER WHEREIN SAID GROOVE IS FORMED WHEN SAID CYLINDER LOCK SWITCH HAS BEEN ROTATED TO ITS OPEN CIRCUIT POSITION, MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID LOCKING MEMBER WITHDRAWN FROM SAID CONTROL MEMBER WHEN SAID CYLINDER LOCK IS IN ITS CIRCUIT CLOSING POSITION AND SAID CYLINDER LOCK, SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND SAID LOCKING MEMBER EXTENDING INTO SAID CASING. 